1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to games and gaming card decks, and more particularly, to a scavenger hunt-type card deck incorporating various types of goal/target-related cards such as personality trait, command and/or event cards. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for playing a scavenger hunt-type game incorporating a card deck having various types of cards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Target-based search competitions, commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cscavenger huntsxe2x80x9d, have been long known in the game-playing field. Single players or teams of players are provided with a list of goals or targets in a first environment, sent into a second environment and must return to the first environment after searching out and locating each goal/target on their list. Typically, the player/team that first returns to the first environment wins the scavenger hunt.
However, these types of games are difficult to administer and require a great deal of time and effort to set up. First, the list of goals/targets provided to the players/teams must be recreated for each scavenger hunt and must typically be customized for the particular environment in which the players hunt for the goals/targets. Second, the administrator of the scavenger hunt typically cannot participate in the scavenger hunt since at least the administrator must know the location of some of the goals/targets on the list. Third, various environments have particular characteristics such as people having certain stereotypical characteristics or personality traits or certain events which tend to occur in that environment. It can be difficult to assemble and predict these events on a repeating basis for an administrator of a scavenger hunt to create a competitive and enjoyable competition.
The invention comprises a scavenger hunt-type card game incorporating personality trait, command and/or event cards and method for playing the same.
In one aspect, the invention relates to a method for playing a scavenger hunt-type game comprising the steps of: preselecting a social environment having a population of members with personality characteristics distinctive to the social environment; providing a plurality of targets, wherein the plurality of targets are provided on a plurality of cards, wherein the plurality of cards comprises at least one of: a first type of card having indicia representing a personality stereotype of a person conforming to at least one of the personality characteristics distinctive to the preselected social environment; a second type of card having indicia representing a command to be performed by one of the members of the population located in the preselected social environment, the command being related to the preselected social environment; and a third type of card having indicia representing a stereotypical event expected to occur with at least one member of the population in the preselected social environment, the event being related to the preselected social environment. Players are assigned a number of the plurality of targets to each player of the game; and must match each of the assigned number of the plurality of targets with: a first match type comprising a member of the population in the preselected social environment having at least one of the distinctive characteristics conforming to indicia on a card of the first type assigned to the player; a second match type comprising an act performed at the request of a player conforming to indicia on a card of the second type assigned to the player; and a third match type comprising an event witnessed by a player conforming to indicia on a card of the third type assigned to the player.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a scavenger hunt game comprising a set of targets identified at the outset of the scavenger hunt game and a set of players of the game, whereby the players set out to retrieve a set of the targets assigned to them and whereby a winner is declared as one of the set of players who retrieves each of the set of targets assigned to them. An improvement in the method of playing the scavenger hunt game comprises: providing an instruction limiting play to a preselected social environment having a population of members with personality characteristics distinctive to the preselected social environment, and a deck of cards comprising at least one of: a first type of card having indicia representing a personality stereotype of a person conforming to at least one of the personality characteristics distinctive to the preselected social environment; a second type of card having indicia representing a command to be performed by one of the members of the population located in the preselected social environment, the command being related to the preselected social environment; and a third type of card having indicia representing a stereotypical event expected to occur with at least one member of the population in the preselected social environment, the event being related to the preselected social environment. The players attempt to match the targets contained on cards dealt to them with: a first match type comprising a member of the population in the preselected social environment having at least one of the distinctive characteristics conforming to indicia on a card of the first type assigned to the player; a second match type comprising an act performed at the request of a player conforming to indicia on a card of the second type assigned to the player; and a third match type comprising an event witnessed by a player conforming to indicia on a card of the third type assigned to the player.
Various additional embodiments of the invention are also contemplated according to the invention. The method can further comprise the step of verifying that a player has performed the matching step prior to other players of the game. A player can be declared a winner who is determined to have passed the verifying step prior to other players of the game.
The plurality of cards can comprise cards of the first type and of the second type and the matching step must be matched against the first match type and the second match type. The plurality of cards can comprise cards of the first type and of the third type and the matching step must be matched against the first match type and the third match type. The plurality of cards can comprise cards of the first, second and third types and the matching step must be matched against the first, second and third match types.
The preselected social environment can be a nightclub and the first, second and third types of cards and the first, second and third match types conform respectively to personality characteristics, acts and events distinctive to a nightclub.